Festival · Fixed dates - Nov 2027
Dev Deepawali Lamps and Ganga Mahotsav
Spend the Kartik full moon on a private boat as a million lamps are lit along the ghats, with reserved seats at the music festival.
From US$1,975 per person
Overview
Varanasi stands on the west bank at a point where the Ganges swings north for a few kilometres, so the whole city faces the sunrise across the water. Eighty-odd ghats run from Assi in the south to Raj Ghat in the north, built or rebuilt by Maratha, Rajput and Bengali patrons across the 18th and 19th centuries. Behind them the lanes are too narrow for cars.
Hindus call it Kashi, the city of light, and hold that dying here releases the soul from rebirth, which is why hospices and cremation grounds sit in the middle of ordinary neighbourhoods. The Buddha preached his first sermon 10 km away at Sarnath. Kabir, Tulsidas and Ravidas all worked here, and the Banaras gharana gave Indian classical music some of its best tabla and shehnai players.
A Western visitor should come for the honesty of it. At 5.30 am you will share a boat's view with washermen, swimmers, yoga students, priests and a funeral party, none of whom are performing. Allow three nights so the first day's shock has somewhere to settle, and use a guide who can explain what you are looking at before you photograph any of it.
Hand-held, every step
You travel as our guest, not as a booking number. One named person looks after you from the first video call to the drive back to the airport, and explains the meaning behind everything you are looking at.
In Varanasi that matters most where the crowds are thickest and the customs least familiar.
- Airport welcome with a name board, a local SIM and your first rupees sorted
- One trip manager on WhatsApp for the whole journey, answering within the hour
- Guides who explain each ritual, dish and carving as you meet it
- Reserved, safe places at festivals rather than the crush
- A real part in a puja, a wedding or a family celebration if you want one
- Female guide on request, vetted drivers, and no shopping-commission stops
Festivals worth planning a trip around
Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Islamic dates follow lunar calendars, so each year shifts. We confirm every date against the panchang before a departure goes on sale.
| Festival | When | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Dev Deepawali | Nov | On the Kartik full moon every step of every ghat carries clay lamps, around a million of them, and the river reflects the lot. The single biggest night of the Varanasi year. |
| Ganga Mahotsav | Nov | Four or five nights of classical music and dance on a stage at Rajendra Prasad Ghat in the run-up to Dev Deepawali, free to attend. |
| Mahashivratri | Feb-Mar | An all-night Shiva vigil with queues several hours long at Kashi Vishwanath, processions of ash-smeared ascetics and bhang-laced thandai on sale everywhere. |
| Ramnagar Ramlila | Sep-Oct | Thirty-one nights of Ramayana staged across Ramnagar village opposite the city, the audience walking between locations, unchanged since the 1830s. |
| Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh | Apr | Six nights of free classical music in the Hanuman temple courtyard, with leading musicians often playing until dawn. |
| Buddha Purnima at Sarnath | Apr-May | The Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death are marked on one full-moon day, with robed processions and the Sarnath relics displayed. |
Food to try in Varanasi
Ranked the way a local host would feed you, starting with the dish you should not leave without.
- Kachori sabziThe Banaras breakfast of record: urad dal kachori with thin, peppery potato curry, eaten off a leaf plate in Kachori Gali.
- Tamatar chaatA hot, soupy, sour tomato chaat found nowhere else in India, served in a clay cup at Kashi Chaat Bhandar on Godowlia.
- MalaiyoMilk foam collected under winter dew, impossibly light, dusted with pistachio and sold only from about December to February.
- Banarasi paanThe city's full stop to any meal; a mitha paan without tobacco from a corner stall is the version to ask for.
- Baati chokhaBaked wheat balls broken into ghee with smoked aubergine and tomato mash, the staple dish of the eastern plains.
- Blue LassiA tiny cupboard of a shop in the lanes near Manikarnika that has been thickening clay-pot lassi for three generations.
- LaunglataA clove-pinned pastry stuffed with khoya and soaked in syrup, sold in the Chowk sweet shops in the evening.
- ThandaiCold milk ground with almonds, melon seeds, pepper and rose; the bhang version is legal here but order it knowingly.
- Chena dahi vadaFresh cheese dumplings in sweetened curd, a Banarasi sweet-savoury hybrid you will not find further west.
- Rabri and jalebiReduced milk with saffron under a hot jalebi, the standard Chowk dessert on a cold December night.
Heritage sites in Varanasi
- Kashi Vishwanath TempleOne of the twelve Jyotirlingas, rebuilt by Ahilyabai Holkar in 1780 and now approached through a wide new corridor to the river.
- SarnathUNESCO tentative list. The Dhamek Stupa, Ashoka's pillar remains and a first-rate museum, where the Buddha preached in about 528 BCE.
- Manikarnika GhatThe principal cremation ground, burning continuously for centuries. Photography is forbidden here and the rule is enforced.
- Dashashwamedh GhatThe ceremonial centre of the riverfront, where the evening Ganga aarti is performed by seven priests in formation.
- Ramnagar FortThe 18th century sandstone seat of the Maharaja of Banaras across the river, with an eccentric and barely curated museum.
- Alamgiri MosqueAurangzeb's mosque on Panchganga Ghat, built over an earlier temple and still dominating the northern skyline.
- Bharat Kala BhavanThe university museum with Mughal miniatures, Banarasi textiles and an excellent sculpture gallery, on the BHU campus.
- Chunar FortA Ganges-side fortress 40 km upstream, held in turn by Sher Shah Suri, the Mughals and the East India Company.
Places to visit in Varanasi
- Sunrise rowing boatPush off at 5.30 am from Assi and drift north; the light, the bathers and the sound arrive in that order.
- Evening aarti from the waterLamps, bells and conches at Dashashwamedh, far better seen from a boat moored twenty metres out than from the crush ashore.
- The lanes behind Vishwanath GaliAlleys a metre wide carrying silk shops, shrines, cows and sweet makers; impossible without someone who knows them.
- Harishchandra GhatThe smaller and older cremation ground, less visited than Manikarnika and best observed quietly from a distance.
- Sarnath deer parkThe green, orderly counterpoint to the city: stupas, excavated monasteries and robed pilgrims from a dozen countries.
- Banarasi silk weavers, MadanpuraPit looms in Muslim weaving households producing kadhwa brocade; buy here rather than from any shop with a commission guide.
- Akharas at Tulsi GhatMud wrestling pits where pehlwans train at dawn on diet, clubs and devotion to Hanuman.
- Assi Ghat at 6 amFree yoga on the platform, a Vedic aarti and a cafe row, the softest introduction to the riverfront.
Waterfalls, lakes and wild places
The southern waterfalls need the monsoon and its aftermath, so August to October is their season, while river boating is best from November to February. We do not recommend bathing at the ghats on health grounds, and the current off Manikarnika is stronger than it looks.
- The Ganges at the ghatsFive kilometres of river frontage; low, green and calm from November, high and silt-brown from July to September.
- Triveni Sangam, PrayagrajTwo and a half hours west by road or train for the Ganges and Yamuna confluence, and a good day trip in Magh Mela season.
- Rajdari and Devdari FallsStepped waterfalls in the Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary, 70 km south, running strongly from August to October.
- Lakhaniya Dari, MirzapurA red sandstone gorge and plunge pool about 70 km away, with prehistoric rock paintings in the overhangs.
- Vindham Falls, MirzapurA short seasonal cascade in the Vindhyan hills near Mirzapur town, best combined with the Vindhyachal temple.
- Chunar riverfrontBroad, quiet Ganges bank below the fort where the river is clean enough for local boats to fish.
Where to stay in Varanasi
Properties we would put our own guests in. Your package includes the level you choose, and we hold rooms before festival dates.
- Taj Nadesar PalaceCantonment, eight rooms in a 19th century palace inside a mango orchardHeritage
- BrijRama PalaceDarbhanga Ghat, an 1812 riverfront palace entered by boat or by foot through the lanesHeritage
- Taj GangesCantonment, forty acres of garden and the city's largest poolUpscale
- Suryauday HaveliShivala Ghat, a restored Nepali royal residence right on the stepsBoutique
- Guleria KothiShivala Ghat, a small riverfront heritage house with a good terrace restaurantBoutique
- Hotel Clarks VaranasiCantonment, the city's original full-service hotel, convenient for the stationMid-range
- Radisson Hotel VaranasiCantonment, modern and reliable, about 20 minutes from the ghatsUpscale
- Ghat-side guesthouses, Assi to ShivalaSimple restored houses on the steps for guests who want to wake up on the riverMid-range
Evenings out and culture
| Place | What it is |
|---|---|
| Ganga aarti, Dashashwamedh Ghat | Seven priests, tiered lamps, bells and conches every evening after sunset; book a boat by five to get a mooring with a clear line of sight. |
| Subah-e-Banaras, Assi Ghat | A daily dawn programme of Vedic chanting, shehnai or sitar and open-air yoga on the ghat platform, free to all. |
| Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh | Six April nights of free classical music in the Hanuman temple courtyard, where the audience sits on the floor and performances often run to sunrise. |
| Classical music house concerts | Tabla and sitar families in the old city host small sitting-room recitals for ten or twelve guests, arranged a day ahead. |
| Ramnagar Ramlila | For 31 nights after Dussehra the audience walks between village locations following the Ramayana, lit by pressure lamps. |
| Rooftop cafes, Assi and Shivala | Alcohol is sold in hotels and licensed bars but not near the temples; most riverfront roofs serve lassi, coffee and thalis instead. |
Getting to Varanasi by air
| Airport or route | Detail |
|---|---|
| Lal Bahadur Shastri International (VNS) | 26 km northwest of the ghats, 60 to 75 minutes by car. Domestic links to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata. |
| Via Delhi (DEL) | The usual routing from the USA, UK and Europe: a non-stop into Delhi, then a 90-minute connection to Varanasi. |
| Gulf and regional services | VNS has operated flights to Sharjah, Kathmandu and Bangkok; schedules shift, so we confirm at the time of booking. |
| Onward to Khajuraho (HJR) | A short domestic hop west when guests combine Banaras with the Chandela temples rather than backtracking to Delhi. |
| Gaya (GAY) | 260 km east, the airport for Bodh Gaya, useful for guests following the Buddhist circuit on from Sarnath. |
Trains and road to Varanasi
| Route or station | Detail |
|---|---|
| Vande Bharat Express, Delhi to Varanasi | A chair-car day train via Kanpur and Prayagraj in roughly eight hours, with meals served at the seat. |
| Varanasi Junction (Cantt) | The main station, 5 km from the ghats, busy at all hours; our drivers meet guests at the prepaid taxi gate. |
| Banaras station | The rebuilt terminal formerly called Manduadih, used by a growing share of long-distance trains. Check your ticket carefully. |
| Overnight to Agra and Delhi | Sleeper services leave in the early evening and arrive at breakfast, the most time-efficient way to join Agra to Banaras. |
| Onward to Gaya and Kolkata | Three hours east to Gaya for Bodh Gaya, or twelve on the Howrah main line if Kolkata follows. |
Weather, seasons and best time to visit Varanasi
November to February is the time to come: 15 to 26°C, clear dawns, and the Dev Deepawali lamps in November. Avoid May and June for the heat, and July to September when the flooded river closes much of the ghat walk.
| Months | Season | Day temperature | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov-Feb | Winter | 9-26°C / 48-79°F | Cold river mornings that need a jacket in the boat, bright afternoons, and fog in late December and January. |
| Mar-Apr | Spring | 20-38°C / 68-100°F | Dry and increasingly hot; the ghats empty out by ten in the morning and refill at dusk. |
| May-Jun | Summer | 29-45°C / 84-113°F | Fierce and dusty. Stone steps are unwalkable barefoot by mid-morning and only dawn is usable. |
| Jul-Oct | Monsoon | 26-34°C / 79-93°F | The river rises over the lower ghats, boat routes change daily and some steps disappear entirely. |
Varanasi tour packages
Per person, twin sharing, excluding international flights. Hotels, private transport, guides, entries, your trip manager and 24-hour support are included.
Tradition · Oct - Mar
Dawn on the River, Dusk at the Aarti
Two sunrise boat rides, a walking tour of the weaving lanes and the evening aarti from the water with a scholar of the city.
From US$1,112 per person
Location · Oct - Mar
Banaras and the Buddha
Follow the Buddha from his first sermon at Sarnath to the tree at Bodh Gaya, with the Hindu city as the counterpoint.
From US$2,100 per person
Food & wine · Dec - Feb
Kachori, Chaat and Malaiyo
Eat through the old city with a Banarasi food writer, including the winter-only milk foam and a paan-making session.
From US$1,400 per person
Take part, don't just watch
Add any of these to a tour. A host stays beside you and tells you what is happening and why it is done that way.
Rowing out before the sun
A boatman from the Mallah community rows you north from Assi at 5.30 am while his son bails. He points out the hospice where people come to die, the akhara where wrestlers are already training, and the ghat his family has worked since the 1880s.
Pit loom in Madanpura
A Muslim weaving family lets you sit at a pit loom and throw the shuttle on a kadhwa brocade sari that will take them forty days. Their uncle explains why the design is punched on cards and what a fair price actually looks like.
Morning puja with a ghat priest
A pandit at Shivala takes you through his daily river ritual: the copper pot, the flowers, the words and why they face east. He answers questions a guidebook cannot, including the ones about death.
Tabla in a sitting room
A musician from the Banaras gharana hosts eight guests on cushions in his own front room. He demonstrates the bols, explains teental, and then simply plays for forty minutes without a microphone.
Questions travellers ask about Varanasi
Why should I visit Varanasi?
Because it is the most unfiltered place in India. Birth, worship, bathing, laundry, music, commerce and cremation happen within a hundred metres of each other on the same steps, and none of it is arranged for your benefit. Add the Buddha's first sermon site at Sarnath and a silk-weaving tradition a thousand years old, and three nights here change how the rest of the country reads.
When is the best time to visit Varanasi?
November to February. Mornings on the water are 9 to 15°C, so bring a fleece for the boat, and afternoons settle at 22 to 26°C. November also brings Dev Deepawali, the year's biggest night. May and June hit 45°C, and from July to September the river swallows the lower ghats and makes the riverside walk impossible.
What are the rules at the cremation ghats?
Photography and filming are not allowed at Manikarnika or Harishchandra, and people do enforce it. Stand back, stay quiet, do not step onto the pyre platforms and never photograph a family. Ignore anyone who offers a 'viewing room' for a donation to buy wood, which is a long-running scam. A guide will position you respectfully and explain what each stage of the ritual means.
Is Varanasi safe, including for solo female travellers?
Broadly yes, and we run solo female itineraries here regularly. The real hazards are crowds, slippery steps and the lanes after dark rather than crime. Walk the old city with a guide for the first day until the geography makes sense, use pre-booked boats and cars, cover shoulders and knees for temples, and keep your bag in front of you during the aarti.
Do I need a visa, and how do I reach Varanasi from Europe or the USA?
US, UK and EU nationals need the online India e-Visa, applied for at least four days ahead. Most guests fly non-stop into Delhi and connect 90 minutes to Varanasi, or take the Vande Bharat in about eight hours. Varanasi's airport has also carried Gulf and Kathmandu services, which we check when booking as schedules change.
What does a Varanasi tour cost?
From about US$890 per person for three nights with two sunrise boats and a city walk, US$1,120 for a four-night food programme, and US$1,580 for the five-night Dev Deepawali tour with a private boat on the full-moon night. A six-night Varanasi and Bodh Gaya Buddhist route is around US$1,680. Land costs only, excluding international flights.
How many days do I need, and can I eat well as a vegetarian?
Three nights: one for the shock, one for the lanes and weavers, one for Sarnath and a second sunrise. On food, Varanasi is a largely vegetarian city and Brahmin kitchens cook without onion or garlic, so vegetarians eat superbly. Spice is moderate. Vegans should avoid the milk sweets and lassi and ask for oil rather than ghee.
Is Dev Deepawali really worth planning around?
Yes, and it is the one date we tell guests to build a trip on. On the Kartik full moon in November the entire ghat line is lit with around a million oil lamps, the Ganga aarti runs at several ghats at once and the river doubles everything. Hotels on the water sell out a year ahead, so we book as soon as the lunar date is confirmed.
Nearby and related
Most guests pair Varanasi with one or two of these on the same trip.